Folding bumper for automobiles



July 8, 1924.

- T. D. TERLIZZI FOLDING BUMPER FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed Aug. 27, 1923- 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 [VI/INTO)? 220/2705 je r/fiz/ Patented July 8, 1924.

UNITED STATE-1S,

PA 4.10mi,

THOMAS D. TERLIZZI. or WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

FOLDING anana 170.; 'AIL'IQMQBILEs.

Application -fi1ed August 27, 1923. Serial arb cca ic To all whom it may concern:

Be it'llgnownthatl, THOMAS D. KTERLIZZI, a citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Folding Bumper for Automobiles, of which the following is -a specification.

This invention relates to a bumper cap being struck, but will resist any ordinary impact to which they are subjected.

Further objects and advantages of the in vention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is :to be had to theaccompanyingidrawing, in which,

Fig. 1 is a plan of a preferred-embodiment of this invention shown: in fulllines in itsnormal position on the cariand showing indotted lines its completely folded up position;

Fig. 2 is a similarviewshowing the position of the parts when the ifender strilzes a piersonand folds;

ig. 3 is a side elevation showing the .of the bumper;

Egg. 4 is ,a side View. of one of these springs showing interior construction;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view .on the line '55 of Fig. l; and i Fig. 6 is1an enlarged sectional viewon-the line 6+6 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 7 is a front view. a

I am .aware of the'fact that several deviceshave been invented in the nature of folding automobile bumpers. 'These, so far as I am aware,are of such a nature asto involve expensive and cumbersome -machinery and usually of such a nature that theywill look so complicated that people are not willing to putthem/on their cars. They also fold all thew ayfrom' the-end and present no surface which-can resist impact *wi'thout folding.

end

111 any invention the bump l ok ik hQ dmMv-y h mps an fias v y ttl me h n sm-asid t t a sh w in ny way. is inei{pensive-Qto manufacture and instalhanflisso "arranged that it has at its two ends projectin .parts of the bumper which are solid an" "will resist impact in the same .way asan ordinary bumper made ina'singlepiec'e. "Yet the construction is suclrtjhat if a pedestrian is struck anywhere between-two points a little beyond the sides of-the chassis the bumper will automaticall fold with astrong spring resistancein suc away as to hold-the pedestrian between two arms of thebu'mper and a sa fe position, orelse allow him to game o'f'the way, and at I any -rat-e A strike '1 him with yielding resistance -so-that heis not likely to be seri ously injured. 7 '7 ;Inthe drawings have shown a. bracket 10 whi-ch' is'moufi1ted on the chassis in any co'nvenientway. It is providedwith a strut 11 I which extends {forwardly 'from each j s ide of the chassis and preferably outwardly to ascertain extentso as "to -bring its;en'd 12 out from the sideo-fthe car alittle ways;

This end is curved as-w ill-be seen and it, is free and not;positively'fastened to any other part of the device.

The bumper itself comprises twoarms 1 L of. channel shap'e preferably and adapted; to .receive --between their upp :flanges the ends 12 of the-struts 11. -Preferably the ends of these-struts-are fittedtothe interior of the bumper-arm 14 so that they er 7 and lower will come together easily and yet not rattle,

% but they, are not positively connected together. The end of the strut extends clear over:.to. the inner surface of the vertical front-faceof the bumper arm and contacts -with it so thatit constitutes a strong support for it'. Thestrut 11 is so wide'that it will not yield, but on the contrary forms ;a positive ,s-top against which the force of any impact on the -bumper beyond the end 12 will -be exerted without moving the bumper or thestrut. In this way this part of the bumper ld beyond the end 12 acts just-like any bumper.

The two arms 14 of the bumper are provided'with verticalpivots 15 each of which is mounted "ona pivot'member- 16. f This is provided with a perforation 17 which. is screw-threaded and receives the thread of a bolt 18. In normal position the two members 16 extend parallel with each other and longitudinally with respect to the-car, so that the two bolts 18 extend away from them in opposite directions and are in ahgnment with each other. V

The bolts 18 extend through holes in the ends of a center block 20 which has a cen- 'tral solid portion normally located between the ends of the bumper arms 14 and of the same size and shape as these arms so as to complete the bumper at that point when t is in normal position. This block has projections 21 extending outwardly and ends 22 extending forwardly provided w1th perforations through which the bolts 18 extend. The heads of these bolts rest on the outer surfaces of these projections in all positions thereof. The pivot members 16 can swing from the position shown in full lines to that shown in dotted lines in F1g. 1, but the block 20does not change its relative position except to move backwardly toward the car. There .when anything strikes the bumper.

are a pair of springs 23, one on each bolt 18 for resisting'the motion of the plvot members 16 outwardly and forcing them to move inwardly whenever possible to the positions shown in Fig. 1.

As so far described there is nothing to hold the bumper out of its operative normal position, and nothing to resist its swinging back to the dotted'line position in Fig. 1. For the purpose of providing this means,'I have shown a projec ion 25 on the cast bracket 10. In this projection is a hole or perforation for receiving the end 26 of a stud 27. A bolt 28 is provided for holding it in position. In this stud is fixed by means of a pin 29 a strong coiled spring 30. This coiled spring is provided inside with a series of links 31. The first one is pivoted by a vertical pin 32 to the stud 27. The rest are vertically pivoted to each other, except that two of them 33 and 34 are provided respectively with adove-tail groove and a dove-tail projection 35 so that they are slidably keyed together. One of the links, as for example, 34, is pivoted by a vertical pin 36 to a link 37 to which the other end of the spring 30 is connected by the pin 36. This link 37 is pivoted by a pin 39 to the arm 14 at a pointy normally adjacent to the end 12 of the strut 11. It will be noted that all the pins 32, 36 and 37 are arranged vertically. Therefore, these links will hold up the spring throughout its length. The end of the link 37 is cylindrical or semi-cylindrical preferably, and engages the inner curved surface of the end 12 which is of the same shape, and the spring forces the bumper arm 14 outwardly into that position normally. I have shown these springs 30 as covered by a leather covering 40 which is secured to the springs near their ends by collars 41 to keep out dirt and Operation.

When the parts are placed in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1, the springs 30 and the springs 23 will hold them in that position. It the bumper strikes a pedestrian or any other object at any point between the two pivots 39, the bumper will yield and the two bumper arms 14 will swing inwardly to the position shown in Fig. 2, if the person struck is in such position and the speed is sufliciently high to cause that operation... It will be seen that the springs 23 can yield as the block 20 moves backwardly to enable the arms .14 to assume the position shown. Dur- I ing the first part of the motion the ends of the bumper arms will move along in contact with the ends 12 of the struts 11, but soon they will leave contact with the same andswing inwardly as indicated. The dotted lines in Fig. 1 show the device completely "folded back with nothing between the arms.

I1 the pedestrian encountered strikes one of the arms 14 at a point beyond the adjacent pivot pin 39 that arm will remain rigid on I account of the support given it by the strut 11, and the construction of the block 12 and its connection with the two arms. Therefore, in this position the bumper will act like any ordinary oneiece bumper.

It will be seen t lat the danger of serious accident'to any person struck by the bumper is ver greatly reduced, and that the danger of throwing him under the car is almost enf tirely eliminated. Catching him betweenthe arms 14 as shown in Fig. 2 might bruise him a little in some cases, but it will not seri- H ously injure him. In this way a great source of serlous accidents is very materially reduced. It Wlll be seen also that the device when-in use presents substantially the ap pearance of an ordinary simple one-piece art without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the claims.

Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to all the details herein shown and described, but what I do claim is 1. In an automobile bumper, the combination of two opposite arms'and a center ing inwardly-at that point, and means for rigidly supportingsaid arms at-points at a distance from their ends. 7

2. In an automobile bumper, the combination with two pivoted arms-of channel form pivotally connected near the center, of a pair of struts permanently and fixedly mounted on the car having forward ends extending into and fitting within the arms to support them, and having sliding connection therewith.

3. In an automobile bumper, the combination of a pair of rigid struts secured to opposite sides of the car and projecting for wardly, a pair of bumper arms resting on the ends of said struts but not positively connected therewith, and means whereby the inner ends of said arms can swing backwardly but the outer ends can not.

4:. In an automobile bumper, the combination with a pair of struts rigidly mounted on the car and projecting forwardly therefrom, of a pair of bumper arms supported by the ends of said struts in such a way that the arms can move along the ends of the struts inwardly, and means on the arms for engaging the struts on their inner surfaces and preventing the arms from m0ving outwardly thereon.

5. In an automobile bumper, the combination of two opposite arms and a center block, said arms being pivotally connected with the center block and capable of swinging inwardly at that point, and means for rigidly supporting said arms at points adj acent'to but at a distance from their ends, the center block extending beyond the adjacent ends of the bumper arms to prevent their swinging forwardly, whereby the ends of the arms beyond the said support will not yield backwardly upon hitting an obstruction.

6. In an automobile bumper, the combination with a pair of struts rigidly mounted on the car and projecting forwardly and outwardly therefrom, of a pair of bumper arms supported by the ends of said struts but not positively connected therewith, whereby the arms can move along the ends of the struts inwardly and be separated from them, means on the arms for engaging the struts on their inner surfaces and pre venting the arms from moving outwardly thereon and means connected with said arms for preventing their sinking downwardly even when not supported by the struts.

'7. In an automobile bumper, the combination with a pair of bumper arms, of means for supporting the ends of said arms, whereby the arms can move therealong inwardly, means on the arms for engaging the supporting means on their inner sur faces and preventing the arms from moving outwardly thereon, and'a series of links i in a downward direction at all times.

8. In an automobile bumper, the combinati )Il with a pair of bumper arms, and means fur movably supporting them, comprising a series of links pivotally connected together on vertical axes and capable of longitudinal and swinging motion about said axes, positively connected with said arms for preventing their motion in a downward direction at all times, and a pair of heavy coiled springs connected with the frame of the car at one end and connected with said links for resisting motion of the arms backwardly.

9. In an automobile bumper, the combination with a pair of bumper arms means for movably supporting them, whereby the arms can move therealong inwardly, means on the arms for preventing the arms from moving outwardly, a series of links pivotally connected together on vertical axes and capable of swinging motion about said axes, connected with said arms for preventing their motion in a downward direction at all times, a pair of heavy coiled spring conmotion of the arms backwardly, and a covering of flexible material over the springs for preventing access of dirt and moisture thereto. r

10. In an automobile bumper, the combination of a pair of bumper arms located normally in alignment and pivotally mounted at points at a distance from their ends, with a block located between the adjacent ends of said arms and having a loose permanent pivotal connection with both of said arms and provided with means for preventing the arms from moving forwardly ,about their pivots from normal position.

11. In an automobile bumper, the combination of a pair of bumper arms located normally in alignment and pivotally mounted at points adjacent to but at a distance from their outer ends, with a block fitting between the ends of said arms and having a loose permanent pivotal connection with both of said arms, said connections comprising a pair of pivot members pivoted to said arms near the inner ends thereof and '70 with said armsfor preventing'th eir motion yielding means for connecting said pivot having opposite projections extending along the inner surfaces of said arms, a pair of pivot members pivoted to said arms near their inner ends and extending inwardly, a pair of bolts extending through said arms e and normally located in alignment transverse to the longitudinal dimension of the car and having their heads located beyond opposite ends of said center block and the adjacent sides of the pivot members.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

THOMAS D. TERLIZZI. 

